


Maker Have Mercy

by VisceralComa



Series: Mercy of the Masters [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Modern Character in Thedas, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-10-18 13:34:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17581844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VisceralComa/pseuds/VisceralComa
Summary: Washing ashore onto the Storm Coast into the clutches of the Blades of Hessarian, encountering spiders, giants, and dragons, and knowing the impending plummet into the abyss in the wake of the Breach is upon them - what do you do? Pray.





	1. The Storm that Brought Me

**He who asks for the mercy of the masters**

 

* * *

 

Don't swallow the water.

I gasped for breath, the ocean currents dragged me down. My mouth open with a silent scream filled with water as I kicked and stroked back to break the surface. I sputtered out every bit of it.

Don't swallow the seawater.

Another wave crashed over me and pushed me below the water's surface. Dark murky cold depths greeted me. Which side was up, and which was down? My grip on my suitcase kept me rising to the surface over and over again with the aid of my swimming.

Hallucinations. Sickness. Death.

The beach wasn't the only time I heard this. I spent countless hours going over safety protocols in case of crash landing in the ocean. In the event we end up at sea. Never drink the seawater, not even if you're so thirsty and have gone a day without water. It will seem the best idea, but you will have more problems than you can solve. You're supposed to collect and drink rainwater whenever possible, and save some for later, to sustain yourself.

Funny. Rainwater.

I broke the surface again. Lightning crashed and lit up the sky with thunder rolling in its wake. Heavy storm clouds pelted the ocean. I dared not try to drink it.

The rough tides battered against me. They allowed me a brief reprieve in between to take in much needed gulps of air until the pull of the ocean yanked me back into its clutches. An amassing wave swelled and came right for me. I struggled to take and hold my breath with the ocean barreling forward and knocking it from me. It pushed me under. The wave carried me wherever it willed. My vision blurred dark. The lightning danced across the sky. Its reflection mirrored its movement.

Again, and again, down and up. I rose. I gasped, panting for breath; trying to undo the damage even if I tired. My limbs ached, my lungs throbbed, and my eyes stung from the harsh spray of the ocean. I was cold.

So very cold.

When I fell out of the lifeboat, my vest and seat forgotten as the ocean pulled me away from the other survivors, I thought I was done for. The ocean had other plans. My suitcase was within my grasp, strapped over my shoulder. It was my lifeline and my watery tombstone.

I couldn't breathe with my mouth opened. The surface appeared further from me. I sank.

 ****I wished for death.

The ocean was vast. No one would find me in time if I survived the storm, I’d starve or die of sickness from all the seawater I swallowed.

I glanced down toward my doom. The endless sea below me. It was dark and swirling with an impenetrable blackness. The longer I looked, the more it pulled me down.

Great shadowy tendrils dragged me deeper and deeper into the depths toward my death, until a warm burning hand gripped mine. Bright warm green eyes filled with determination met my fear filed gaze. They tried to pull me to the surface but there was no hope.

I panicked as the ocean's hold on me slipped. I fell. Not sinking but free falling with no water resistance anywhere. Air rushed and howled in my ears. I gulped the tangy blast of hot air down, my lungs filled with unair in the void. I cried. My vision blackened, I couldn't see, couldn't hear and then...

I was in the ocean again. It’s frigid waters woke me and chattered my teeth. The shock stilled me long enough to sink. I thrashed aware — moving and rushing back to the surface as an explosion of light covered it. The water wasn't crashing or spraying. The rain had cleared.

It was still cold. I was still in the middle of an ocean, stranded. My fingers clung to my carry on. I didn't have to fight to stay afloat, hold my breath, or paddle as hard. Exhaustion dragged my limbs to a crawl as I paddled with each swell of water. The water was thick and slow like sap or syrup.

Had the storm passed? I looked. It was passing. The lull of a dying tempest was all that remained. But my gaze wasn’t on it’s retreating clouds, but on something in the distance.

Mountains?

It grew larger as the ocean dragged me along. My legs sluggish but I was altogether excited to let it pull me closer. The more I paddled the worse my exhaustion was, but I had to paddle. I needed to. My vision dimmed as land came into sight.

So close. Just within my grasp I could almost touch.

I blacked out, awaking to gravel and rocks beneath me. I made it to the shore. I grasped the floor with numb fingers. They became slippery with the gravel's jagged edges and copper filled my nose as I crawled up.

Feeble as I was, I needed to get as far from the shore as possible. Some unconscious thought told me the tide could rise any moment and carry me back to sea. I didn't want that.

My carry on dragged behind me as I fumbled my way up. My breath labored as I looked forward at a patch of vibrant green grass. It almost looked like moss. Soft and warm.

I didn't register the cold until I laid on the grass, my jaw snapping as my teeth clacked and clattered. My body warmed as I stretched out, looking toward the sky as the sun blinded me.

I made it.

I woke up retching. My body caved in on itself as my diaphragm upchucked the contents of my stomach. Salty watery vomit came up, spewing into the bucket held in front of me. My eyes squeezed shut with the burn. My throat: hoarse, dry, and burning from repeated regurgitation.

A warm hand rubbed soothing circles on my back as I cradled the bucket. Another held my hair back. They made small soft shushing sounds as I lowered the bucket to the wooden floor. I panted for a few more moments, before licking my lips.

He was tall, taller than me at least. He peered at me with bright amber gold eyes lined in dark bags, almost like he hadn't slept. It contrasted with his pale ivory freckled skin. Were it not for the low lighting he would have blinded me with how white he was.

He brushed back the strands of blonde hair over my face, so he could touch my forehead. His delicate yet thick striking ginger brows furrowed in worry. He chewed the inside of his cheek. His cheekbones were not high but were well pronounced. His jaw and neck had a smattering of dark stubble, lips pursed as he considered me.

"Thank you," I croaked.

"You have a fever." He moved away from the cot toward a table that was, like everything else in the cabin besides the fireplace, wooden. He gathered something from a jug with what looked to be a wooden cup with a handle. I reached for it but noted my hands. They were bandaged up, limiting their movement. When I wiggled them, they stung beneath the leafy and cloth dressing.

I gave him a questioning look until I smelled it. Fresh water. It was tantalizing. He fed me the water, tilting it to my lips as I drank. Too thirsty to care how my stomach twisted unpleasantly as I drank the soothing fresh water. I gulped a mouthful down, but he pulled the cup back until it was only a trickle...

"Only enough to soothe your throat. I suspect you'll be sick into the bucket more." He directed me to lay down. I trusted him. Had he wanted to kill me or cause me any harm, he would have done so already. Or my fever-addled mind was too trusting.

"Sleep. Explanations will come when you are well." He pulled up a thin sheet and covered me. I didn't even know I was that tired until my eyes closed, and I was already asleep.

I sunk as darkness surrounded me. My watery grave awaited with each swirling tendril, dragging me down-down-down until I couldn't see the end; couldn't breathe; couldn't escape.

**Someone, help me!**

I flailed up off the cot with a gasp, hands stilled me as I panted. I wasn't in the water anymore. I wasn't drowning, I wasn't going to die. Well, I wasn't going to die right now. I looked around me at the hearth, wooden walls, floors, tables and shelves. Their presence grounded me. I loosened a shaky breath.

"Fever powered nightmares are never pleasant." He said as he held my shaking body. I came down; my body sweaty and the too large tunic I wore clung to my sweaty and sticky skin.

"Thank-" I coughed, covering my face and shaking as I wheezed. The pain from my too raw throat ached. I tasted pennies in my mouth. Had I thrown up that much?

"Thank me when you are well enough." He helped me lean against the back of the bed, or was it a cot, that I lay in. It was big, too big for one person to be laying in. "Now, drink this. It will help with your throat – dull the pain and make it bearable to speak." A small vial of something red and shiny was handed to my still bandaged hands. I lifted one hand to the ginger man and he smiled. "I must apologize. Our healer is away from camp, so we had to make do."

Healer?

I looked back at the small vial and held it up, sniffing at its contents. Was he trying to poison me? Was it a drug? Sedative? Would it kill me? Its sweet scent filled me. He left me to sit on my own, gathering water for me to wash the vial down.

I didn't know him, didn't know his motivations for helping me. He could have nefarious purposes in mind for me. But why would he wait until now to do anything bad? Biting the bullet, I drank the vial before I could further second guess myself. It was too sweet. So sweet it bordered on sour.

"Oh gah...that's sugary." I gulped the water down, trying to get rid of the taste.

"Yes. Unfortunately, concentrated elfroot potions tend to be rather sweet." His voice was light and had a burr to it. I pegged him as European.

Wait. Elfroot?

He pulled up a wooden chair and sat beside me. He grabbed my hand and began removing the bandages. It wasn't all one long roll of gauze, but several pieces of cloth wrapped around my fingers.

"When my men and I found you, you were half frozen and bleeding from your hands, knees, and feet." He paused as I eyed my hands that were torn up. They were clean, fresh and pink with rawness. He rubbed a paste over them before redressing them with care, using bits of twine to keep it all together.

Where the hell was I that they use twine?

"Thank you, again."

He pulled the sheet back revealing my legs were bandaged up and unclothed. I became aware that I wore nothing underneath the tunic. Where were my clothes? My underwear? Had he undressed me? Had he already done something to me and was-

"Edith changed your clothes," he said with a soft smile as I looked at him bewildered. "You looked uncomfortable and confused, I wagered that is what ran through your mind. My name is Ivor." He covered my legs once he was done and looked at me with expectation.

"Oh! Sorry....I'm Mercy." My throat was sore and voice still a bit croaky. The potion had taken away the pain. Weird, even ibuprofen took a while to kick in.

"Mercy?" He spoke my name with reverence, like it was the single greatest thing in existence and like he was dwelling on a private joke. His lips split into a wide smile and he chuckled.

"What?"

"I believe the Maker has a sense of humor, sending a woman named Mercy to us. Of all people." Ivor chuckled again and rose.

Maker?

"Who is us?"

He halted and clasped his hands behind his back. The blue of his tunic was made more obvious with the beige vest he wore. His belt filled with sheaths of daggers on one side and pouches opposite the daggers.

I gulped.

"You are on the mend. You should be able to eat something without the risk of it ending up in that bucket." He ignored my question, eyes hardening with serious intent. "I shall bring suitable clothes for you as well as some soup. Then when you are able, you shall meet our leader as soon as he returns, and he will decide what shall happen to you." Ivor gave a short bow and left me in the cabin.

I trembled as I rose and moved to the door. Locked.

My breath hitched. He locked me in. To what purpose? Whose leader?

I needed to calm down. With my head between my knees, I centered my gaze at the floor. I took slow even breaths.

I didn't know this man. I drank whatever it was he had given me, and he had locked me in. I was in a cabin with no other foreseeable exit.

Not helping!

Sitting upright too fast, I swayed. Gripping the table, I looked around the cabin. There was a shuttered window. With slow movements, I got up and crossed the room using the wall as support.

Damn. It was locked from the outside.

At the hearth sat a pot and container filled with pokers. I hobbled to it and pulled one out. It was heavy but would do. I moved back toward the bed and placed the poker underneath the blanket. I tucked into it as well, waiting for him to come back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was Alpha'd and Beta'd by the lovely [Mayamelissa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mayamelissa). Whom without, I wouldn't have gotten to the point where I can start posting Mercy's revised fic yet.
> 
> I'm not completely done with the revised version of this. I'm just hoping by my posting it, it will kick me into gear to finish the rest.
> 
> I will add tags as they are necessary.


	2. Temporary Arrangements

I woke up some time later to my bandages being removed and hushed voices above me. A chilled hand touched my forehead and a sigh escaped me.

"You should have sent word for me. I would have come back."

"It was just a fever. Frail and I handled it fine. Her fever broke and there is no scarring."

"Just a fever? She washes ashore after the biggest storm this year and you think it's just a fever?"

"Alize. Please. I've taken care of far worse before you joined us."

"She would have healed faster with me caring for her."

There was a pause as I stirred. Lethargic and hungry, my stomach rumbled.

"Does Eldrick know you've been using his cabin?" Her voice lowered.

"Would it have been prudent to let her stay half naked with the men?" There was a pause. "The only other option would have been to put her in a tent, which would not have been wise with her fever."

"I suppose you're right. Though we'll need to find her some place to stay."

"If she chooses to stay."

"And if Eldrick allows it."

"He will." Another pause. "Look at her. He will."

One voice I recognized, the other more feminine one, not so much. I groaned and opened my eyes to see Ivor and a woman. She was slender with angular features. Her golden amber eyes were too large to be normal with wide pupils as well. I looked to her ears, but they were not pointed. Not even when she tucked a strand of strawberry blonde hair back. I don't know why I thought they'd be pointed.

"What?" They had said something, but I hadn't been paying attention. Instead I was staring at the woman who rose one well-formed eyebrow and crossed her arms.

"I was asking how you felt. Any more feelings of illness or water fever?" She stood up. Ivor handed me a bowl of some sort of broth or soup. I was reminded of the sea when I couldn't see the bottom of the bowl.

"I'm fine. I was tired." I shifted, the poker I had stolen still beside me. "Why was I locked in?"

"The cabin is to remain locked at all times. But I do have the key to it." Ivor had a steely look in his eyes – like when he didn't answer me earlier.

The woman, Alize, stepped toward me with a bag. "I am Alize. If you are well enough, I have some garments you may wear." I looked at the bag in question and frowned.

"What happened to my clothes, the ones I was wearing? Or my bag?" I should have accepted the clothes she handed me, but I was confused. They’d locked me in here and I was getting no answers. I didn't know these people. Although I should have felt a tad better with a woman around, but I knew the horrible things women could sometimes do against their own.

"The clothes you wore when we found you were but scraps clinging to you. As for your bag, I can retrieve it." Ivor’s voice stiffened as he explained. He gave Alize and I a nod before leaving.

The woman and I stared at each other. She rose her brow.

"So where am I exactly? I remember being thrown overboard and ending up on some coast. I'd like to know in general where I am," I said as I watched her. She gave me an even stare, not even flinching or showing any signs of having heard me until a small uplift of her lips rose.

"We're on the Coastlands."

"Coastlands of what?" I interrupted her, and she gave me a sharp look.

"Of Ferelden. We're on a particular stretch that is known as the Storm Coast."

"I'm sorry di-did you say Ferelden?"

She didn't have the chance to clarify because Ivor came back in, this time leaving the door open. Daylight and a harsh breeze spilled.

"You'll have to dress quickly." Ivor’s shoulders were stiff and his eyes hard. "Eldrick has arrived and is putting his horse in the stables." He placed my bag down in front of me and swept out. Alize had stiffened and left the bag she had brought on the bed as well. The woman followed Ivor, closed the door but not locking it.

I unzipped my bag, pulled out the clothes in the space saver bags and chucked them on. I didn't have shoes, didn't even know where my shoes had gone to. I checked the pockets of my bag wondering if my phone had fallen out. It wasn't in any pocket. I assumed the worse and that it was in the sea somewhere.

I opened the sack Alize had left and saw a pair of leather flat sandals. Frowning, I pulled them on and got up, shuffling at first. The shoes were a tad big, but I could manage.

I grabbed both bags and exited the cabin into a much colder climate than I expected. It was overcast and foggy. The sun was out, and I couldn't tell if it was closer to dawn or dusk. Maybe it was noon?

Cursing my phone being lost and my lack of foresight to not wear a watch, I stepped out of the cabin and closed it. Ivor rushed to lock it.

It was fucking cold! Goosebumps raced up my arms and up my neck. I shivered and pulled out a small blue cotton sweater from my bag. I had packed for the tropics.

"I thought it was spring." I pulled my bag closer and shivered. I was underdressed for the temperature.

"Spring? No. Tis autumn now." Alize tucked me away behind her, as though hiding me. The clearing was filled with twenty-some people all going about.

Large spiked wooden post fence circled the grounds. There was an array of color painted on the posts with some sort of depiction. The cabin I came out of was the largest and most structurally sound of the bunch. The other cabins were all wooden and spaced out around the encampment with at least one shuttered window per cabin with simple doors. Small chimneys peeked out the top on the back walls. There was a building by the entrance of the whole camp and a barn with a fenced off area. A wooden lookout was the tallest building with a ladder up leading to a perch where a flag post was located, a single rope hanging on the other side of it.

With so many separate buildings, I couldn’t help but think it was a waste to build separate cabins when you could line them up in a row and save wood, heat, and space in a longhouse shape.

Had I landed on the coast of some Amish country type of commune? Was I in Florida? No. Florida would be in spring. Unless we crashed further south. I knew the Southern Hemisphere had opposite seasons. But this... this was way too cold, wasn't it?

" – in our scouting path along the coast we came upon an unusual sighting after the storm." Ivor reported to a man, who I couldn't see around Alize. She and I were on par for height and I was tall for a woman. The other women around us were shorter. Alize and I were even taller than some of the men.

"Unusual, eh? Well out with it. What did you find?" A graveled voice carried despite being more than a handful of yards away over the bustle of noise.

"We found-" I peeked around Alize to see Ivor and a tall broad shouldered blond haired and bearded man. He looked toward me as Ivor uttered a word I couldn't hear. Alize who straightened under his gaze. Her shoulders stiffened as she gave a curt nod and left me. Exposed, I couldn't hide anymore.

He crossed the clearing toward me. His gait full of swagger and confidence. He ignored Ivor who had been speaking in low tones but now snapped his mouth shut.

“How…” he muttered in awe but then changed course. "Who might you be?" He purred with a predatory gleam in his hazel eyes.

"Um, I'm Mercy." I shifted from foot to foot. Don't show weakness. My father used to say to me. I took a breath and kept my ground, not flinching back even when he happened upon me.

"Mercy?" Eldrick gave a small chuckle and the laugh lightened his expression. The chuckle turned into a chortle and then a booming laugh. "Truly, her name is Mercy! Oh, how the Maker has a sense of humor!"

There it was again. The Maker. Was this a religious commune? I'd heard about those. Different to the eco-ones I spent my childhood growing up in. They were dangerous.

"Why is it so funny? Ivor said the same thing."

Eldrick stepped close to clasp my shoulder. The full weight of it did not rest on my shoulder, but his proximity was enough to bear weight in other ways.

"Come." He directed me toward the head of the camp toward the stone throne covered with various furs, pelts, and leathers. Fire braziers were lit on either side of it and piles of hay on one side and large iron cages where two dogs lay. They were large and about three quarters my size. That was disconcerting.

"I am Eldrick. Good meet." His hand clasped and pressed to his chest, like a salute before he sat down. I didn't know what that meant so I didn't copy it. "Tell me how you came to be here."

Seriously? Wasn't it obvious? "Well, we crashed, I guess somewhere in the middle of the ocean. We were in lifeboats already as the storm had already hit. We weren't expecting that. I thought... well I thought I was dead when a wave crashed over us, dragging me into the water. I was miles away by the time I looked up and then I was gone. I couldn't see the other survivors. I'm more surprised I didn't drown." I looked down at the ground. It was a bit of a miracle I hadn't drowned. Stormy waters are perilous no matter how skilled of a swimmer you are. I wasn't an Olympic swimmer but I did know the breaststroke but that wouldn't – shouldn't – have saved me

"A miracle indeed. Andraste looked on you favorably." Eldrick leant back.

Did he say, Andraste? Fuck me, please don't tell me I stumbled upon a crazy religious commune.

"I can guess that you washed ashore, my men found you during their scouting excursions on the coast and here you are," Eldrick continued but I was still stuck on Andraste.

"Here I am," I muttered and shifted in place. "Who exactly are you people?" I asked as one of the men brought a goblet of some kind to Eldrick. I got a sniff of it as it passed, and it smelled like beer.

Eldrick peered over the rim of his goblet as he downed it. "I assume you wish to return home."

He didn’t answer me. That's not suspicious.

"Yes. Though I don't know where I am. Judging by the weather I'd say down south, too far south than I thought I'd be." I rubbed the gooseflesh on my arms for emphasis.

"From where do you hail?"

Was this twenty questions?

"I'm from America." No need to give any more information than was necessary.

"Where is that in Thedas, is it north of Par Vollen?"

Did he – No.

"I must admit, I have never met any of the Qunari or heard of their lands past Seheron."

"No..." Flummoxed, I fumbled for words. "Wh-where are we? Sorry. Ali-Alize told me, but I can't recall."

"Ferelden.”

My breath hitched. I was on the cusp of panicking.

“Specifically the Coastlands, in a particular stretch known as the Storm Coast."

Crazy. These people are crazy. I needed to leave.

"Okay. Thanks. But uh, I'd like to get home. If you can point me to the nearest city, I'd be grateful." Stretching my lips wide, I attempted to dazzle him with my smile. He only furrowed his brows.

"Certainly. If you leave the encampment and up the cliff, you'll come across a path. It may take you a week, but you will reach Highever," Eldrick took another sip.

This was too easy. I eyed the encampment entrance.

"That is assuming you can bypass the wandering packs of wolves and cougars we have in these lands."

I deflated. He gave me a pitying look. Clapping my shoulder again, which jolted me forward a tad, he drew himself up only enough to stare me square in the eyes.

"I have recently returned from a trip to our most inland camp for trade. Our horses need a few days to recuperate. If you wait, I can have some of my men escort you to Highever Village, but no further."

A breath I didn't know I'd been holding flew out of me in a relieved sigh. For a second there I thought I'd be stuck here. "Oh, thank you. I don't know how to repay you." I should learn to shut up.

Eldrick's eyes lowered and trailed over places I wish they hadn't. They darkened, his pupils dilated as they rested over my curves. I squirmed, trying to get away from him but his hand slid up to my neck and then to my jaw. Then he leant forward and pressed his cheek to mine. "One night in my bed is all the repayment I need," he whispered huskily in my ear.

I jerked back away from him and out of his hold, stumbling but crossing my arms as though they would protect me.

"Is there any other method?" I spat out, feeling gross, tainted and dirty. The feel of his hand on my skin remained. I could feel it crawling under the surface, but I restrained myself from shuddering, instead focusing on why the creep's gaze had lowered. It took a second to realize why his gaze dropped to my chest, my shirt was revealing compared to what the other women wore. I dropped my arms. That seemed to make him chuckle before answering.

"Pull your weight. Help my men with their duties," he said as a compromise and sat back down not offended. Good.

"Starting now of course."

I wasted no time turning away from him and looking at the people walking around doing an assortment of chores.

There was an older woman with one white eye and an impressive scar over it. She had white hair and was shorter than me but had thick arms and legs that were all muscle. She sat on a stump sharpening a sword with a stone. She didn't need any help.

I walked further in. A large man with dark tan skin, hazel eyes and a larger frame carried a woven basket of clothes that looked damp. Beside him was a short man, shorter than me at least, and thin as ever. He looked like a stiff wind would blow him over, but he too carried his own basket of damp clothes. Laundry? I could do that, but they looked finished.

I noticed more of the little commune. Four cabins, one stables, and two areas marked off by fence posts. One was the garden, and I could see two people tending to them. They also had a pen next to the stable where I could see a sheep of some sort eating feed.

Gardening. Right, I could do that. Spent my entire early childhood summers growing my own tomatoes and corn at camp.

I stepped up, the bags in my hands dropping by the entrance. "Uh... do you need help?" I called to the two. They both sat up and looked to me. It was like having little ETs looking at you, like you were a strange creature. The size and slant of their eyes didn't help nor did their slender frames. They seemed to glow, until whatever darkness of clouds passed.

The male of the two rose and walked forward, wiping his hand on a cloth that hung from his belt. He had sandy brown hair that hung in short waves around him and stormy grey eyes. "We welcome any help. I'm Jana. And this is Nevae." The woman was slenderer than the man, if that were possible and had ginger hair. What it is up with all this red hair? Though her hair was blonder than red. She had amber eyes and a freckled face.

"Hello, nice to meet you..."

"Mercy." I was taller than both.

"Most of it is pulling out weeds making sure the soil is turned over, and clipping what we need to use," Jana explained as he pulled a cloth bag and handed it to me along with a small ceramic knife that was sharper than it looked, especially as I gave myself a nick.

"This row is for elfroot, these pots grow our lotus plants, as they need to sit in an inch of water above the soil to grow. That sectioned off area, don't tend to those. Frail will come along and do those, those are the poisonous plants and some of the plant excretions are dangerous, even on skin. And then back here we have our vegetables, potatoes, onions, cabbage, garlic, and beans. When we harvest, we generally take them to the larder in our supply cabin." Jana pointed to each plant and then showed me which cabin was the supply larder.

"We also take care of milking Elissa here," Nevae said as she pointed to the sheep pen that connected the garden and the stables. This was like the Amish country.

"Alright." I nodded. "Which plants do you want me to take care of?" Jana moved me over to one of the first rows.

"The elfroot. They are mostly weeded, but snip the leaves, all of them. As close to the stalk as possible as well. Leaf stems are an important part of alchemy," Jana explained as he went to the pots and started snipping lotus buds.

Kneeling on the stone, I hunched over and slid the small ceramic knife along the stalk and off came one leaf. Then another. It was easy. The thing I couldn't take was hunching over to do this, nor kneeling. By the time I was done with the row, my knees hurt, and my back ached. I had a full cloth bag and was getting up.

"Won't you run out of elfroot if you snip off all the leaves?"

"Oh no. Elfroot leaves grow overnight. If we left it, it'd turn into a whole bush," Nevae informed me as she tended to the produce plants.

"Weed the rest of the plants when you've finished!" Jana called out as he moved onto turning over soil.

That's how I spent the morning. Halfway to noon, Nevae got up and left us with a few potatoes, garlic, a cabbage head, and a bundle of leeks in her arms. Jana and I continued tending to the garden until it was lunch. By then my stomach grumbled in protest as I stepped toward the tables following Jana's lead. Was I allowed to eat?

"Eat. You need your strength," Ivor handed me a bowl.

I looked down into the clumpy mess of grains and bits of meat. I sat down next to the ginger and looked around. Others ate up the stew. I couldn't tell what it was, but they ate it up and poured ale from flagons. I wasn't one for beer to be honest, but it was all that was available.

Looking at the stew I tipped the bowl into my mouth and drank it, taking the chunks and chewing it. There was bone here and there. I dug it out. Standards outside of civilization for food was very different to what I had grown used to. It was a good thing I didn't have any allergies.

Lunch ended. The noise and chatter trickled to whispers and chants as they separated into small groups. Large books were placed on tables or laps and people's heads bent in prayer. I was the only one not doing prayer. So, I got up, retrieved my bags and moved far enough away from everyone that I wouldn't disturb them.

It ended up being near the throne, but I needed a bit of quiet. So many things were confusing about these people.

I pulled open my bag and shuffled through. Toiletries, check. Spare clothes, check. Pencils, check. Sketchbook... I cringed as I opened the binder that had my sketchbook. It wasn't destroyed but it was damp, and a few pages were stuck. I pulled them apart and, blowing at it to dry a bit before I pulled a pencil out.

Elfroot. The Maker. Ferelden. Andraste. Thedas. Seheron. I wrote each word. If I didn't know any better, I'd say these people had played too many games. Not to mention, who needs swords in this day and age? At worst, I stumbled upon a secluded island where the people here have only received brief interactions with English culture from time to time. Perhaps they came across one of the books.

At best this was a roleplay community. I was leaning towards at best. Although, my hands had faint marks of scrapings and cuts. It was healing a lot faster than it should.

No. This is ridiculous.

A poor attempt at wishful thinking from someone who spent the last year locked up in her loft working from home and playing computer games because it was cheaper than going out. Yes, that is exactly it. Besides I won't have to worry about weird crazy people living in the woods for long.

Two days and then I'll be heading home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was Alpha'd and Beta'd by [Mayamelissa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mayamelissa).


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